This research is an attempt to explore the capability of modern data procesing technology to assist the physician in the diagnosis and care of the critically ill patient. By serving as an informatton compiler and organizer of clinical and biologic data, the computer can serve as a means of providing the responsible doctor in a municipal or community hospital setting with better understanding of the relevant clinical and physiologic patterns manifested by his critically ill patient. It also can provide a method of getting authoritative consultation to him on a continuing basis. In concept, this application is based on the assumption that a most effective pedagogic technique in teaching a clinical discipline is still th case system, where the motivating stimulus to learning is having the responsibility for that patient's care. By focusing the computer techniques on the specific case for which the individual physician is responsible, the comuter can form the basis of the most relevant kind of continuing education system which can produce better care of the critically ill. Of equal importance to this concept is the ability for the physician in a smaller center to communicate through the system with a senior consultant on those problems to which answers cannot easily be programmed. By enhancing physician-consultant interdependence this type of system can also encourage the regionalization of critical care services. The present Clinical Assessment, Research and Education System (CARE) has been implemented on a National Time Sharing Computer Service. A demontration project is being undertaken to evaluate the possible impact of this technology on health care delivery in terms of both cost and medical effectiveness.